Madhu Gottumukkala is departing as the interim leader of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), with current agency executive director for cybersecurity Nick Andersen stepping in as the agency’s acting director.
A senior official at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – the parent agency of CISA – confirmed the leadership changes to MeriTalk.
“Madhu Gottumukkala has done a remarkable job in a thankless task of helping reform CISA back to its core statutory mission,” the official said in a statement. “He tackled the woke, weaponized, and bloated bureaucracy that existed at CISA, wrangling contracts to save American taxpayer dollars.”
Gottumukkala will now serve as the director of strategic implementation at DHS, according to the senior department official.
Andersen, who steps in as acting director, has held senior cybersecurity roles in the federal government and private industry, including leadership roles in the first Trump administration.
Notably, the nation’s cyber defense agency has been without a permanent director throughout the second Trump administration. President Donald Trump nominated Sean Plankey to serve as CISA director, but his nomination remains stalled.
ABC News first reported on the leadership moves at CISA.
The leadership change also comes amid reports that CISA Chief Information Officer Bob Costello is expected to leave the agency. Cybersecurity Dive reported that Costello is being reassigned to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. MeriTalk has asked CISA and DHS for comment on Costello’s status.
Gottumukkala has faced scrutiny in recent months. Politico reported that he failed a polygraph test, and in a separate report said Gottumukkala attempted to fire Costello but was blocked after other political appointees at the department objected.